Physical Acquisition of iOS Devices

Physical acquisition is the only acquisition method to extract full application data, protected keychain items, downloaded messages and location history. Physical acquisition returns more information compared to logical acquisition due to direct low-level access to data.

Logical Acquisition

iOS Forensic Toolkit supports logical acquisition, a simpler and safer acquisition method compared to physical. Logical acquisition produces a standard iTunes-style backup of information stored in the device, pulls media and shared files and extracts system crash logs. While logical acquisition returns less information than physical, experts are recommended to create a logical backup of the device before attempting more invasive acquisition techniques.

We always recommend using logical acquisition in combination with physical for safely extracting all possible types of evidence.

Media and Shared Files

Quickly extract media files such as Camera Roll, books, voice recordings, and iTunes media library. As opposed to creating a local backup, which could be a potentially lengthy operation, media extraction works quickly on all supported devices. Extraction from locked devices is possible by using a pairing record (lockdown file).

All Features and Benefits

iOS Forensic Toolkit implements physical acquisition support for jailbroken devices from iPhone 5s through iPhone X/Xs/Xr. Logical acquisition is available for devices without a jailbreak.

The following compatibility matrix applies:

With jailbreak: Physical acquisition for jailbroken devices running any version of iOS for which a jailbreak is available (iPhone 5s through iPhone X, iPad mini 2 through 4, iPad Air, Air 2, Pro, Apple TV 4, 4K)

No jailbreak: Logical acquisition, shared files and media extraction only for devices running versions of iOS without a jailbreak. Device must be unlocked with passcode, Touch ID or lockdown record

Elcomsoft iOS Forensic Toolkit is the only third-party tool on the market to extract information from Apple Watch devices. While experts may attempt creating an iTunes-style backup of the user’s iPhone paired with their Apple Watch, a local backup may not be available if the iPhone is securely locked. Extracting information directly from the Watch allows accessing information even if the iPhone is locked or unavailable. While Apple Watch does not offer standalone iTunes-style backups, experts can still access crash logs and media files including EXIF and location data. A third-party IBUS adapter is required to connect the Watch.

Apple TV devices have no support for iTune-style backups, but may contain a local copy of the user’s entire iCloud Photo Library if the user enabled iCloud Photos in their iCloud account. Since Apple TV does not feature passcode protection, the extraction is possible even if the user’s iPhone is locked down and the iCloud password is unknown. Requires wired connection for Apple TV 4, wireless connection through Xcode for Apple TV 4K.

Logical acquisition is available for all devices regardless or hardware generation and jailbreak status. The device must be unlocked at least once after cold boot; otherwise, the device backup service cannot be started.

Experts will need to unlock the device with passcode or Touch ID, or use a non-expired lockdown file extracted from the user’s computer.

If the device is configured to produce password-protected backups, experts must use Elcomsoft Phone Breaker to recover the password and remove encryption. Elcomsoft Phone Breaker is also required to view keychain records. If no backup password is set, the tool will automatically configure the system with a temporary password (“123”) in order to be able to decrypt keychain items (password will be reset after the acquisition).

Using a lockdown (pairing) record, information can be extracted from locked iOS devices even after power-off or reboot. The following matrix applies to devices running iOS 8 through iOS 12.x:

Elcomsoft iOS Forensic Toolkit can extract keychain items including those protected with ThisDeviceOnly attribute, opening investigators access to highly sensitive data such as login/password information to Web sites and other resources (and, in many cases, to Apple ID).

The Toolkit for Microsoft Windows requires the computer running Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 or Windows 10 with iTunes 10.6 or later installed.

Other versions of Mac OS X, Windows and iTunes might also work but have not been tested.

Release notes

Elcomsoft iOS Forensic Toolkit v.5.0

21 February, 2019

added full file system acquisition and keychain decryption for iOS 12 (with jailbreak)

Uninstallation procedure: in order to uninstall the product, follow the standard procedure via Control Panel - Programs and features or use the corresponding Unistall link from the product's folder in the Windows Start menu.

The Toolkit for Microsoft Windows requires the computer running Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 or Windows 10 with iTunes 10.6 or later installed.

Other versions of Mac OS X, Windows and iTunes might also work but have not been tested.

Release notes

Elcomsoft iOS Forensic Toolkit v.5.0

21 February, 2019

added full file system acquisition and keychain decryption for iOS 12 (with jailbreak)

Uninstallation procedure: in order to uninstall the product, follow the standard procedure via Control Panel - Programs and features or use the corresponding Unistall link from the product's folder in the Windows Start menu.